With so much going on culturally speaking in our region, this is my highly selective, curated snapshot of some of the most promising events happening this weekend …

 

PATRICK WATSON in SHEFFIELD, Mass., and WOODSTOCK, N.Y.

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Patrick Watson bookends our region with two shows this weekend, playing Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, Mass., tonight at 7pm and Levon Helm Studios in Wookdstock, N.Y., on Saturday at 8. RIYL Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley. (Fri, Sep 16; Sat, Sep 17)

 

 

 

DAR WILLIAMS and THE NIELDS at LEVON HELM STUDIOS

Also at Levon Helm Studios this weekend, singer-songwriter Dar Williams and singing sisters the Nields hold forth tonight at 8pm.

 

 

 

 

JIM KWESKIN BRINGS JUG-BAND ROOTS to SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY

Roots-music legend Jim Kweskin, founder of the highly influential Jim Kweskin Jug Band in the 1960s, brings his brand of early 20th century rural music to Spencertown Academy in Spencertown, N.Y., on Saturday at 8pm. (Sat, Sep 17)

 

 

 

 

 

HENRY ROLLINS BRINGS SOLO SHOW to THE BARDAVON

Post-punk rocker Henry Rollins brings his Good to See You Tour to the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie on Saturday at 8pm. In addition to his work as a solo artist and fronting the Rollins Band and Black Flag, Henry Rollins is an author, spoken-word artist, actor and DJ. (Sat, Sept 17)

 

 

 

 

WAEL FAROUK PLAYS MUSSORGSKY’s PICTURES at an EXHIBITION in NEW MARLBOROUGH

Pianist Wael Farouk performs works by Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, and Mussorgsky’s famed  Pictures at an Exhibition, at the New Marlborough (Mass.) Meeting House on Saturday at 4:30pm. (Sat, Sep 17)

 

 

 

 

 

HARLEM QUARTET PLAYS DIZZY GILLESPIE, DEBUSSY at HUDSON HALL

The Harlem Quartet performs works by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Dizzy Gillespie, Claude Debussy and others at Hudson Hall in Hudson, N.Y., on Saturday at 7pm as part of the Clarion Concerts series. (Sat, Sep 17)

 

 

 

FOUR NATIONS ENSEMBLE PLAYS SCHUBERT in GERMANTOWN, N.Y.

Hudson River Harvest Concerts brings the Four Nations Ensemble to Germantown, N.Y., on Saturday at 2:30pm in a program featuring works by Couperin and Schubert. (Sat, Sep 17)

 

SOPHIA ZHOU PLAYS BACH’s GOLDBERG VARIATIONS at STISSING CENTER

Bach v. Climate Change, a multimedia collaboration with Chinese pianist Sophia Zhou playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations and environmental photographer J Henry Fair, takes place at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains, N.Y., on Sunday at 4pm. (Sun, Sept 18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE KNIGHTS and AARON DIEHL PLAY GERSHWIN, BACH, STRAVINSKY at TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL

Alternative classical outfit The Knights and special guest pianist Aaron Diehl kick off this season’s Troy Chromatics Concerts at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday at 7:30pm. The eclectic program includes works by Mary Lou Williams, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. (Sat, Sep 17)

 

 

 

 

JACK DeJOHNETTE JOINS WITH SAVION GLOVER at WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Legendary jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette celebrates his 80th birthday in concert with tap dancing visionary Savion Glover at the Woodstock Playhouse in Woodstock, N.Y., on Saturday at 8pm. (Sat, Sep 17)

 

 

 

 

 

CLARK COOLIDGE and ARDA COLLINS READ POETRY in GREAT BARRINGTON

Famed language poet Clark Coolidge and Arda Collins, who writes sharply self-aware poems that stretch through time, will read from their poetry at Familiar Trees on Railroad Street in Great Barrington, Mass., on Saturday at 5pm. (Sat, Sept 17)

 

 

 

 

 

THE WE REMEMBERS PUT MUSIC to HUDSON VALLEY HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS STORIES at CAFFE LENA

And last but by no means least, the We Remembers, a collective of songwriters who worked with Hudson Valley Holocaust survivors to write new songs telling their stories, bring the results of their project to Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., next Thursday, September 22, at 7pm. The We Remembers are Elizabeth Clark, Jude Roberts, Kelleigh McKenzie, and Michael Veitch. (Thu, Sep 22)